LB13

Najee Goode

ILB West Virginia

Grade

4.64 SEC

35.5 INCH

117.0 INCH

Overview

Goode is a bit of a tweener in that he bounced around from inside to outside linebacker much in his career at West Virginia. NFL teams will have the same troubles when deciding where to play him. He played outside for much of his career, serving as the flow tackler for a defense that featured classmate Bruce Irvin at outside linebacker. Goode had a solid year working from the inside and is strong to defeat offensive linemen, he has 3-4 and 4-3 base defense versatility as well, which all comes together to make him a late-round prospect.

Analysis

Strengths

Goode is a solid tackler and works better in the box than he does in space. He can read linemen and fill his gaps adequately. He uses good leverage when going against bigger linemen and can deliver a blow to oncoming running backs. Goode has the strength to back up a 240-pound frame, and doesn't let offensive linemen stick on him long. Goode is a classic inside presence who struggles turning to cover in zone and is better suited playing against the run.

Weaknesses

Goode won't be very reliable against the pass in the NFL and is more of a two-down defender. He has the speed to run with bigger offensive players but would struggle dropping back to cover slot receivers. He has the same struggles in zone coverage where he doesn't look natural to flip his hips and get into his pass set; he doesn't contribute much either when rushing the passer and doesn't have the burst or technique to get around more experienced lineman.